An exciting new Asian fusion restaurant is currently preparing its big debut on Stanton Street.
Stanton Social was a popular LES haunt from owner Chris Santos, a managing partner at TAO Group and judge (and winner) of Food Network’s Chopped. The bar opened in 2005 to popular acclaim and put Chef Santos at the forefront of the Lower East Side’s budding culinary scene. Stanton Social operated successfully for over 15 years before sadly shutting down for good in 2018. The space has remained vacant since, but soon a new restaurant will be breathing life into the space once again.
The restaurant, which has yet to be officially named, is a new project from owners Sonny Choi, Erin An, Jeong Ryu, and Joonmo Lee. Currently operating under the corporate name “Sing Sing LES Stanton Corp”, the concept is described as a “Korean American Fusion Restaurant” and is now slated to open up sometime this year at 99 Stanton Street. The location is rather spacious for the neighborhood and is expected to seat an estimated 124 guests at one time.
According to their menu, the new restaurant will emphasize small plates, entrees, and desserts. Sample small plates include “The Twigims” (Korean fried tempura), “The Jeons” (Korean fried pancakes), and “The Kochis” (Korean skewers). Sample entree items include tacos with bulgogi or spicy pork, Korean bun sandwiches, rice cake pasta simmered in various sauces, and “The Budae Jigae”, a hearty stew that can be prepared with various items like ramen, udon, American cheese, fishcake, pork belly, and bacon. The dessert menu will offer dishes like ‘The Bingsoo” which is shaved ice served with red bead, mochis, fruits, and condensed milk, and the “Bungeoppang”, which is a fish-shaped pastry with sweet red bean filling served with ice cream.
At the moment, the team is currently applying for a liquor license before they are ready to share more details. They are currently proposing operating hours of 4:00 PM – 2:00 AM Monday through Wednesday, 4:00 PM – 4:00 AM Thursday and Friday, 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM on Saturday, and 11:00 AM – 2:00 AM on Sunday, though those hours are subject to change pending the board’s approval. Unfortunately, the team does not yet have any social media profiles active for the restaurant, so you will just need to stay posted for further details.
